Manasseh Succeeds Hezekiah in Judah

1aManasseh° was twelve°° years° old° when he became° king°, and he reigned° fifty-five° years° in Jerusalem°.
2aHe did° evil° in the sight° of the LORD° according to the abominations° of the nations° whom° the LORD° dispossessed° before°° the sons° of Israel°.
3 For ahe rebuilt°° the high° places° which° Hezekiah° his father° had broken° down°; bhe also erected° altars° for the Baals° and made°IAsherim°, and worshiped° all° the host° of heaven° and served° them.
4aHe built° altars° in the house° of the LORD° of which° the LORD° had said°, “My name° shall be bin Jerusalem° forever°.”
5 For he built° altars° for all° the host° of heaven° in athe two° courts° of the house° of the LORD°.
6aHe made his sons° pass° through the fire° in the valley° of Ben-hinnom°°; and he practiced° witchcraft°, used° divination°, practiced° sorcery° and bdealt° with mediums° and spiritists°. He did° much° evil° in the sight° of the LORD°, provoking° Him [to anger].
7 Then he put°athe carved° image° of the idol° which° he had made° in the house° of God°, of which° God° had said° to David° and to Solomon° his son°, “bIn this° house° and in Jerusalem°, which° I have chosen° from all° the tribes° of Israel°, I will put° My name° forever°;
8 and I will not again° remove° the foot° of Israel° from the land°awhich° I have appointed° for your fathers°, if° only° they will observe° to do° all° that I have commanded° them according to all° the law°, the statutes° and the ordinances° [given] through° Moses°.”
9 Thus Manasseh° misled° Judah° and the inhabitants° of Jerusalem° to do° more° evil° than° the nations° whom° the LORD° destroyed° before°° the sons° of Israel°.

Manasseh’s Idolatry Rebuked

10 ¶ The LORD° spoke° to Manasseh° and his people°, but athey paid° no° attention°.
11aTherefore the LORD° brought° the commanders° of the army° of the king° of Assyria° against° them, and they captured° Manasseh° with Ihooks°, bbound° him with bronze° [chains] and took° him to Babylon°.
12 When ahe was in distress°, he entreated° the LORD° his God° and bhumbled° himself greatly° before°° the God° of his fathers°.
13 When he prayed° to Him, aHe was moved° by his entreaty° and heard° his supplication°, and brought° him again° to Jerusalem° to his kingdom°. Then Manasseh°bknew° that the LORD° [was] God°.

14 ¶ Now after° this° he built° the outer° wall° of the city° of David° on the west° side° of aGihon°, in the valley°, even to the entrance° of the bFish° Gate°; and he encircled° the cOphel° [with it] and made° it very° high°. Then he put° army° commanders° in all° the fortified° cities° of Judah°.
15 He also aremoved° the foreign° gods° and the idol° from the house° of the LORD°, as well as all° the altars° which° he had built° on the mountain° of the house° of the LORD° and in Jerusalem°, and he threw° [them] outside° the city°.
16 He set° up the altar° of the LORD° and sacrificed°apeace° offerings° and thank° offerings° on it; and he ordered° Judah° to serve° the LORD° God° of Israel°.
17 Nevertheless°athe people° still° sacrificed° in the high° places°, [although] only° to the LORD° their God°.

18 ¶ Now the rest° of the acts° of Manasseh° even ahis prayer° to his God°, and the words° of bthe seers° who spoke° to him in the name° of the LORD° God° of Israel°, behold°, they are among° the records° of the kings° of cIsrael°.
19 His prayer° also and a[how God] was entreated° by him, and all° his sin°, his unfaithfulness°, and bthe sites° on which° he built° high° places° and erected° the Asherim° and the carved° images°, before° he humbled° himself, behold°, they are written° in the records° of the IHozai°.
20 So Manasseh° slept° with his fathers°, and they buried° him in his own house°. And Amon° his son° became° king° in his place°.

Amon Becomes King in Judah

21 ¶ aAmon° [was] twenty-two°° years° old° when he became° king°, and he reigned° two° years° in Jerusalem°.
22 He did° evil° in the sight° of the LORD° as Manasseh° his father°ahad done°, and Amon° sacrificed° to all°bthe carved° images° which° his father° Manasseh° had made°, and he served° them.
23 Moreover, he did not humble° himself before°° the LORD°aas his father° Manasseh° had Idone°, but Amon° multiplied° guilt°.
24 Finally ahis servants° conspired° against° him and put° him to death° in his own house°.
25 But the people° of the land°Ikilled° all° the conspirators° against° King° Amon°, and the people° of the land° made° Josiah° his son° king° in his place°.

Manasseh's wicked reign.

1 ¶ Manassehº [was] twelveºº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and he reignedºª fiftyº and fiveº yearsº in Jerusalem:º2 But didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º like unto the abominationsº of the heathen,º whom² the LORDº had cast outºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º

He setteth up idolatry, and would not be admonished.

3 ¶ For he builtºª againºª² the high placesº which² Hezekiahº his fatherº had broken down,ºª and he reared upºª altarsº for Baalim,º and madeºª groves,º and worshippedºª all² the hostº of heaven,º and servedºª them. 4 Also he builtºª altarsº in the houseº of the LORD,º whereof² the LORDº had said,ºª In Jerusalemº shall my nameº be² for ever.º5 And he builtºª altarsº for all² the hostº of heavenº in the twoº courtsº of the houseº of the LORD.º6 And he² caused¹ª² his childrenº to pass² through¹ª the fireº in the valleyº of the sonº of Hinnom:º also he observed times,ºª and used enchantments,ºª and used witchcraft,ºª and dealt¹ª with² a familiar spirit,º and with wizards:º he wroughtºª muchºª evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º to provoke him to anger.ºª7 And he setºª² a carved image,º the idolº which² he had made,ºª in the houseº of God,º of which² Godº had saidºª to² Davidº and to² Solomonº his son,º In this² house,º and in Jerusalem,º which² I have chosenºª before all²² the tribesº of Israel,º will I putºª² my nameº for ever:º8 Neither² will I any moreºª removeºª² the footº of Israelº from out¹ of²² the landº which² I have appointedºª for your fathers;º so thatº² they will take heedºª to doºª² all² that² I have commandedºª them, according to the whole² lawº and the statutesº and the ordinancesº by the handº of Moses.º9 So Manassehº made¹ª² Judahº and the inhabitantsºª of Jerusalemº to err,ºª [and] to doºª worseº than² the heathen,º whom² the LORDº had destroyedºª beforeº² the childrenº of Israel.º10 And the LORDº spakeºª to² Manasseh,º and to² his people:º but they would not² hearken.ºª

He is carried into Babylon.

11 ¶ Wherefore the LORDº broughtºª upon²² them the captains² of¹ the host ofº the kingº of Assyria,º which² tookºª² Manassehº among the thorns,º and bound² him¹ª with fetters,º and carried¹ª² him to Babylon.º

Upon his prayer to God he is released, and putteth down idolatry.

12 And when he was in affliction,ºª he besoughtºª² the LORDº² his God,º and humbled¹ª himself² greatlyº beforeº² the Godº of his fathers,º13 And prayedºª unto² him: and he was intreatedºª of him, and heardºª his supplication,º and brought him againºª to Jerusalemº into his kingdom.º Then Manassehº knewºª that² the LORDº he² [was] God.º14 Now after² this¹² he builtºª a wallº withoutº the cityº of David,º on the west sideº of Gihon,º in the valley,º even to the entering inºª at the fishº gate,º and compassed¹ª about² Ophel,º and raised it up¹ª a very great height,º² and putºª captainsº of warº in all² the fencedºª citiesº of Judah.º15 And he took awayºª² the strangeº gods,º and the idolº out of the houseº² of the LORD,º and all² the altarsº that² he had builtºª in the mountº of the houseº of the LORD,º and in Jerusalem,º and castºª [them] out¹ of² the city.º16 And he repairedºª² the altarº of the LORD,º and sacrificedºª thereon² peaceº offeringsº and thank offerings,º and commandedºª Judahº to serveºª² the LORDº Godº of Israel.º17 Neverthelessº the peopleº did sacrificeºª still² in the high places,º [yet] unto the LORDº their Godº only.²

His acts.

18 ¶ Now the restº of the acts¹ of² Manasseh,º and his prayerº unto² his God,º and the wordsº of the seersº that spakeºª to² him in the nameº of the LORDº Godº of Israel,º behold,² they [are written] in² the bookº of the kingsº of Israel.º19 His prayerº also, and [how God] was intreatedºª of him, and all² his sin,º and his trespass,º and the placesº wherein² he builtºª high places,º and set upºª grovesº and graven images,º beforeº he was humbled:ºª behold,² they [are] writtenºª among² the sayingsº of the seers.º¹ª

He dying, Amon succeedeth him.

Amon reigning wickedly is slain by his servants.

21 ¶ Amonº [was] twoº and twentyº yearsº oldº when he began to reign,ºª and reignedºª twoº yearsº in Jerusalem.º22 But he didºª [that which was] evilº in the sightº of the LORD,º as² didºª Manassehº his father:º for Amonº sacrificedºª unto all² the carved imagesº which² Manassehº his fatherº had made,ºª and servedºª them; 23 And humbled¹ª not himself²² beforeº² the LORD,º as Manassehº his fatherº had humbled¹ª himself;² but² Amonº trespassedº more and more.ºª24 And his servantsº conspiredºª against² him, and slewºª him in his own house.º